Summer 2008

Myron Blosser Receives National Recognition

Myron Blosser

Myron Blosser ’83 rose above about 1,000 other teachers of biotechnology at a mid-June (2008) convention of 20,000 people in San Diego, Calif., to receive the second-place prize of $5,000 for being one of the top biotechnology educators at the high school level in the nation.

Blosser teaches biology, advanced placement biology and a biotechnology course at Eastern Mennonite High School in Harrisonburg.

He promotes and leads an annual biotechnology symposium for schools in the central Shenandoah Valley. Now in its 15th year, the symposium brought scientists and students together for a day this spring to focus on nuclear genetics. Since its start, 4,500 students from 26 high schools have participated in the symposium.

Blosser was chosen by a panel of judges for “his proven leadership and excellence as an educator, his commitment to furthering the teaching of biotechnology by outreach to other educators, and the development of innovative ways to teach biotechnology.”

Blosser received his prize at the BIO 2008 International Convention, which drew 20,108 industry leaders from 70 countries and 48 states to its convention June 17-20. Keynote speakers were California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and General Colin L. Powell (Ret.). The convention showcased how the biotechnology and life sciences industries could make the world a cleaner and healthier place to live through new drug developments, cleaner technologies, and improvements in food supply.

Blosser has been the recipient of numerous awards, including EMU Alumnus of the Year in 2005; biology teacher of the year in several different years (1993 from the Virginia Association of Biology Teachers, 1994 from the American Association of University Women, and 1998 from the National Association of Biology Teachers); and member of the 1999 USA Today Teacher First Team, one of 20 teachers nationwide named to this team.